


Left in the dusk ~ Killing Game AU

by That_One_Demiboy



Series: Killing Game Scenes [1]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Doc gets tortured, Impulse basically starves himself, Jellie has to exist with no scar, Multi, No Proofreading We Die Like Men, Somethings up with hypno, Wels commits die, Zedaph gets a knife in his arm, only four of them survive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27881497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_One_Demiboy/pseuds/That_One_Demiboy
Summary: Twenty-Four players get sent to a new realm. Their goal? Be one of the last four survivors.Twenty deaths occur over 16 ‘rounds’. Some are led to suicide, others have to face their worst fear in their dying moments. Who’s left to win, and who’s having to stay in the realm for eternity.
Relationships: Etho / Beef, False / Stress, Grian / Scar, Mumbo / Iskall, Ren / Doc, Tango / Impulse / Zedaph, joe / cleo
Series: Killing Game Scenes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041501
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13





	1. Round Zero | Scene One

**Author's Note:**

> Just saying this is like, really angsty.
> 
> Read at your own caution!

_ “Are you sure about this Xander?” _

**“I’m not a fucking coward. Of course I’m sure”**

_ “I was just saying. How you’ve found a way to teleport 24 people into one world is beyond me” _

**“I have my ways, NK”**

_ “Hmm?” _

“Someone opened a backdoor for them”

**“Kit, the conversation doesn’t involve you”**

“Just letting them know”

* * *

[ Start of Round Zero ]

Echoes of footsteps blared through the room, the lack of lighting cloaking the figures like a robe. Muffled whispers could be heard, before the sound of chains rattling quickly flung through the air. The flicking of switches quickly caught the ‘admin’s attention, a spotlight flickering over a glass cage. A sleeping body lay there, body tied down to the floor. 

“Get up, fuckers. Time to see what goes down here”.

“Katheryne, watch your tongue”.

He could hear others waking from slumber, adjusting to the sudden change in light. Some were trying to get themselves free from where they had been tied down, others had accepted their fate and instead waited for someone else to speak. Cowards, they never did. 

“Listen, ‘hermits’. The three of us are tired of your lies. We were the original creators of that server you call home, but your white lies and narcissism have brainwashed people into following your side of the story. So, we’re getting revenge. You’ll wake up daily to new challenges. Some you will do nothing in, others you’ll have to. There’s just one twist. One of you is gonna die, every single challenge. The last four alive can leave this realm and go back to their own. Those who die are forced to remain in this realm.”

Two figures loomed over them in frustration. The one on the left had a green sailors outfit on, chains and tassels covering the majority of the top. Leather boots rose to their knees, buttoned with golden frisbees. Their hands were covered by white gloves, ends just barely reaching the sleeves. Olive doe eyes looked down on them, mostly covered by black locks of hair.

The one on the right was quite similar in style, this time wearing a blue outfit with golden chains covering their shoulders. Their boots were much smaller, darker, with more spikes and a bit of a heel to them. They left themself gloveless, showing short, grey nails that could scratch through someone’s skin with ease. Their eyes were bright, sparking blue, with a black veil covering their hair.

“Anything to say before you watch the first demise?”

The majority of them remained silent, not daring to speak up over them. Chains rattled and mere whispers were pushed around the room, the ability to speak up refusing to come to them.

“No? Nobody wants to ask about how you’ll live for what could be forever. Oh well, your loss”.

The whistle of a train sounded, distracting the lot of them.

“I’m gonna ask you a question, Answer it, and you’ll let your friend free. Get it wrong and… well let’s just say that this train isn’t going to just crash into the wall”.

A screen was put up in front of them, flickering on to show Ren, strapped to the tracks. A gag was tied over his mouth, muting his screams to breaths. 

“Who’s willing to have their life taken instead of his?”

The group fell silent, contemplating whether they wanted to last another day or have Ren have the chance to see the light of day, if there was even one in this dimension. If they got to see one if there was one. Chuckles came from the ‘ringmasters’, flicking a lever up with ease.

“Your loss. Have fun.”

A gate lifted itself up, the two figures making their way through a door, leaving them to watch as he got ended. Bells rang in their ears, the whistle of the weapon getting closer. Just as quickly, it parted, the corpse of was once their friend being left. Blood foamed around the area, leaking as far as the eye could see. His once breathing body crushed to nothing but marrow and blood.

**_RenDog was run over. He has lost the game._ **

...And it was over. The restraints holding them down lifted, an exit opening behind them. Doc was the first to leave, running out of the room with tears pooling at the end of his eyes. Scar ran off after him, his outfit ripped and burned at the ends. The rest left quietly, never daring to mention the events that happened in that room.

Groups of them went exploring for food, medical supplies, and anywhere they could sleep. The rest lounged in the main room, cloaked by grey curtains. Windows had been boarded over with metal plates, attached too tightly to move. In the corner of the room, there was a small pile of books, covered in dust and cobwebs which had been sown onto them with silk, 

Footsteps slowly walked across the hall flinging open the door as Stress stumbled in, bandages and ointments in her hands. Following after her were Tango and Wels, each carrying a box of food with them. 

“All we could find, besides a few spare rooms. Might wanna go check them out”. 

Grian was the first to rush off toward them, chased down by False and Impulse. The rest of them kept themselves where there were, finding something to snack on while they waited for the others to make a return. 

* * *

_ “Do we tell them?” _

“Tell them what?”

_ “...nothing. I guess Xander hasn’t told you yet.” _

“Which is…”

_ “Which is what?” _

“What did they tell you?”

**“Do you really want to know, Kit?”**

“Depends what it is”

**“Remember that guy, the one that woke up before we got him in?”**

“The one with the bandana?”

**“Mhm.”**

“Ohhhhh, this is about  _ that _ ”

_ “Duh, who else would it be about?” _

**“Quiet, NK. Just play your part. We’ll use him when we can”.**

* * *

“Hey guys, we found the sleeping quarters!” 

Grian’s voice echoed down to them, jingles following after him. Taps of his shoes neared, waiting as he peered around the doorway. In his hand he held his own key, Impulse bringing a bag of the others keys. Each one was made with silver, the player ID of whoever it belonged to hanging on the edge. 

“So should we just go there or stay here?”

“You choose, I’m gonna check out where I’m gonna be staying”.

“Alright, looks like we’re going to the dormitory then.”

[ End of Round 0 ]

  
  



	2. Round One | Scene One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna put a TW for Pills on this one. Skip this chapter if you don’t like that.

**“NK, I think they’re ready for the first test”**

_ “Lemme guess, it’s that one”.  _

**“The pill test?”**

“Shouldn’t we be saving that one?”

_ “Xander has their reasons”. _

**“Easy. Whoever survives gets immunity next round”.**

“I’m guessing you’re trying to kill of the purple guy”

_ “What purple guy?” _

**“That ‘admin’. The one that currently has the title he took from us”.**

_ “Ohhh. Him” _

“Should we get them ready?”

**“Yes, you guys pick who’s against him”.**

[ Start of Round One ]

“Jellie! How did you get here?”

Scar called, picking Jellie up and cuddling up to her. Weird, his room was made pretty close to how he would make it. Drawers filled to the brim with crystals, with vines hanging down just carefully over them so he could still access them without them breaking. Next to there was a wardrobe, with two sets of daily wear, one set of formal wear, and a set of soft clothes to sleep in. The majority were burned on the edges, or bitten away by moths to the point where the seams had undone themselves and made clusters of holes in the fabric.

His bed had been made with a thin sheet, a few pillows, and fur blankets. On the wall, a set of headphones were pegged up, a note underneath simply stating  _ ‘can’t get to sleep at night? Either put these on or get some sleeping tablets from the infirmary’.  _ Written in a crimson red shade. 

Curiosity nearly got the best of him, quickly being pulled away from his thought of trying it to check around the room for anything else. A note, a case, a lever, a hatch, something that could help him get a lead on how to get out of this hellhole. Heck, even a clue on where he was would suffice. Unluckily, his room did not possess such properties. 

The only extra thing which he didn’t exactly think about checking was a box of stuff for Jellie. Why would there be anything in a box of food and toys? 

“Scar? Are you in here?”

He heard Xisuma call, quickly getting up from where he was leaning against the door. The click of the door was quickly stopped by the bang of it being pushed against the wall. From there, he could hear someone shifting around in their room next to him, and Stress blabbing on about something. 

“Just checking to see if anything had happened, the others are getting something made if you’re hungry”

“Might see you out on that offer”

“Well, scream if something happens”

Scar was left in his room, while X ran off to tend to his own business. The wizard reached back, hand brushing against the wall as he pushed the door across to the frame. Instinctively, he rushed over to his bed, checking to see if there was a place for Jellie to sleep while he’d be in the events, if he even made it through the events. Nothing, just his luck.

He sighed, brushing his bangs out of his face, pulling some comfier clothing over his body. A tag was latched at the end of the shirt, his name burned on in cursive. The thread attaching it was loose, freely moving around in a gaping, torn-up hole. A bruise was just barely noticeable from the fraying that happened at the ends. Not like he didn’t expect that, he’d been dragged here and tied up. Of course he’d have some kind of injury.

“See you in a bit, girl. Don’t get killed here.”

* * *

The hermits had been filing into the main room, dividing themselves into groups with good friends, lovers, or just people who they trusted. Stress had laid out some snacks for anyone who was peckish, letting people grab and go if they so wished. Scar decided to head over to Grian’s room, if he had even gone in there.

He quietly opened the door, looking around his room for any sign of his date. The room was quite rustic, the bed was smaller, but had a fancier look to it, mostly because of the finite marks that had been made through chiselling into spruce wood. The sheets were red, pillows that were as white as paper and several layers of sheets. Next to his bed was a bookcase, the first half filled to the brim with dusty books, papers, and a set of pens on the side of it. At the bottom half were a set of drawers, the top one having a shirt half falling out of it.

Of course, he couldn’t see the gremlin in there, closing the entrance with a soft thud, making his way across the hall toward Mumbo and Iskall’s rooms. It wasn’t that bad of a walk, passing by False’s room, overhearing a conversation with Stress and Cleo. Something about teaming up? Whatever, they’d probably be forced to go against each other in the end. Their loss if they trusted someone the later they got. 

He didn’t even get a chance to look for him, hearing a ‘ding’, followed by an announcement.

“Please can everyone head to their own dormitory. If you are caught remaining in someone else’s room in the next fifteen minutes you will be taken out of the game.”

The mayor groaned, turning his back to the rooms as he made his way back down to his room, someone following behind him, murmuring about something, too quiet for Scar to hear. Probably annoyed with the curfew, like he was. He hadn’t even had enough time to catch up to someone close to him, try to get the two to at least know that the other was alive.

He slid into his room, purring filling his ears. The entrance closed behind him, as he locked the door shut. Safety, incase anyone was going to attempt to murder him in the night. Probably better than leaving the door open just enough for someone to sneak in, unless they had to (for whatever reason). 

“Hey Jellie, glad to see you’re still here.”

Jellie looked across to him, jumping off the mattress and brushing herself against Scar’s leg, doing her normal routine when he arrives back at his base. Mostly just checking to see if he had been with any other cats, like she wouldn’t already be checking. Scar smiled, picking her up and cradling her in his arms, laying back onto his bed. He moved himself so he was over the mattress, covering himself in blankets while the light flickered out. 

Typically, he wasn’t exactly the best at getting asleep at night. Usually he’d just let himself pass out and just wake up whenever he did. But there was something new, that he was desperate to try. Specifically, those headphones which were hanging over his bed. They couldn’t hurt him, right? I mean, they’re headphones, what’s the worst they could do? Scream in the middle of the night? Pssh. Like they’d torture people that much. His hand grasped the wire, following it up to where the speakers were, putting them over his head. 

He was asleep in minutes.

* * *

The hermits woke up to the clanging of a bell, quickly noticing how they had been tied down again. The majority were in the crowd, hands tied behind their backs and feet tied to the legs of the chairs. In front of them were the two players, Tango and Xisuma. The two had their feet tied down and a leather belt around their chests, hands free. A table separated them, holding two pills. One red, one blue.

“Congrats on making it to the next challenge. This one plays a bit different, and has a reward for the winner besides living. As you can see, you can make the choice between one of the pills. One of them will kill you within a few minutes, the other will grant you immunity in the next round. Choose wisely. Not choosing in the next four hours will result in both of you losing the game. Good luck”.

The crowd was left, watching the two of them as they chose between the two. Eventually, Xisuma reached his hand out toward the blue pill, Tango taking the red one and swallowing it. And they just as quickly found out who chose wrong, forcing themselves to look while X struggled to keep himself alive, barely being able to breathe or move. He was pushing down on his chest as much as he could to attempt to get himself to remain, slowly losing the fight against it.

Tango was just left there in… shock. Knowing that he had been close to having to stay with these maniacs forever.

“I’ll win for us, X. I promise”.

**Xisumavoid died from poison. He has lost the game.**

The group was quickly let free.

* * *

_ “Who’s next on our death list?” _

“Why do you expect me to know? Xander refuses to tell us until the round comes”

_ “Well who do you want dead?” _

**“People, we don’t get to decide next one. Not even they do”**

“Huh?”

**“Let’s play the button game”**

[ End of Round One ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I actually made someone regret their choices. Plus this is like, 1.5k words. Most of it is just scars bit.
> 
> If you haven’t caught on yet, each chapter is gonna be focusing on one hermit. No, it’s not the hermit that dies in the next chapter. Don’t think that.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I’m a rendoc shipper.
> 
> Also who do you think is gonna make it out alive? (Reminder, only four of them will)


End file.
